Holder for dental floss



Feb. 13, 1923.

Filed Feb. 27, 1932 Patented l3, lg g v ELDON W. EBY, OF BLENHEIM, ONTARIO, .CANADA.

nonnnn non nnnran moss.

Application filedfie bruary 27,1922. SerialNo. 539,692.

ToaZZw/zom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Export 7. EBY, of the town of Blenheim, in the county of Kent. Province of Ontario, Canada, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Dental Floss, of which the fol-. lowing is a specification. v p

1 This invention relates to holders adapted for conveniently holding dental floss which is used for removing foreign matter from between the teeth and my object isto devise a serviceable holder which will firmly hold a short length of fioss in position forv use.

' I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved holder, partly broken away, to show the interior of the receptacle;

Fig. 2 an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 a side'elevation showing the holder ready tor use;

Fig. 4 a plan View of Fig.1; I

Fig. 5 a side elevation of my holder showing a modification of the clamping means partly retracted;

Fig. 6 a longitudinal section; and Fig. 7 a plan View of Fig 5. In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the difierent figures.

The floss holder includes a receptable 1 to which are secured a pair of suitably spaced similar arms 2 extending therefrom. On each of these arms 2 is suitably guided a spring pressed arm 3, the outer ends of these arms being adapted to engage the outer ends of the arms 2 to form clamps for gripping the floss as hereinafter de-- scribed. r In one side of the receptacle 1' is formed an opening 5 through which a spool or bobbin 6 of dental floss may be placed on a pin 7 carried by the opposite side of the receptacle. A cover plate 22'pivotally connected to the receptacle at one side of the opening is provided with a projection at the other side adapted to engage in an indentation 20 formed in the receptacle. The free end of the fioss is led through a slot 8 formed in the side of the receptacle and opening into the opening 5, and is then guided by means of the guides 9 and 10, secured to same of the arms 2, to a transverse groove 11 formed the arm 2 and its adjacent arm 3 will be clamped tightly when the arms 3 are released.

It will be noted that the arms 3 engage the opposed sides of the arms 2 so that the former may slide longitudinally on the lat-. ter and that guides 13 secured on the latter receive the slidable arms 3 to prevent lateral displacement of the arms 3. The inner ends of the arms 3 are connected to a slidable member 1 1, the underside of which is engaged by the compression spring or springs 15 which are suitably carried within the receptacle 1. The receptacle is formed with an open top adapted to receive the slidable member 14 when the latter is pressed against the action of the springs 15.

The arrangement of formin the clamps for gripping the floss, shown in Figs. l-to 4, is as follows. The opposed sides of the arms 2 are formed with inwardly directed tapered ends and the outer ends of the slidable arms 3 are correspondingly shaped to normally engage the tapered ends. This is accomplished most satisfactorily by bending each set of adjacent arms 2 and 3 inwardly. ii the upper ends of the arms 3 are formed notches 16 adapted to receive the floss to prevent it sliding laterally on the arms when the floss is being used. To. ensure the floss being retained in the notches 16, I provide the clips 21 suitably carried on the outer ends of the arms 3 underneath. which the floss is readily pressed.

The preferred form of clamp is shown in Figs. 5 to 7. In this construction the slidable arms 3 are provided with wedge shaped outer ends adapted to normally engage the adjacent tapered surfaces 17 formed on the lugs 18 which are formed on or secured to the outer ends of the arms 2. In this construction the floss passes across the outer ends of the slidable arms 3 through notches 16 formed therein, and through notches 16 formed in the opposed sides of the lugs 18. These notches are used for the same purposes as the notches 16 hereinb'efore described.

To present a. fresh piece of floss between the spaced arms. the arms 3 are disengaged from the ends of the arms 2 by pressing the member 14 inwardly,- relative to the receptacle, against the action of the springs 15 and then pulling the free end of the floss through the grooves 11 and 12, and then releasing the member 14 to grip the ends of the fresh piece of floss, as hereinbefore described' The used floss is then cut off by means of a cutting edge 19 formed on one of the guides 13.

It is evident that with either of the clamping constructions hereinbet'ore described that if the floss is held from sagging when strung between the arms 2 that on release of the member 14 the arms 3 will jam the floss between them and their coo erating arms 2, and at the same time will stretch the floss so that it will be held taut.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A dental floss holder including a pair of spaced arms; a second pair of arms mounted to slide longitudinally on the first mentioned arms and adapted to co-operate with the outerends of the first mentioned arms to form clamps to engage opposite ends of a length of floss; and yielding means tending to press the movable arms to their floss engaging position.

a 2. A dental floss holder including a pair otspaced arms provided with tapered surfaces at their outer ends; a second pair of armsslidably mounted on the first mentioned arms and having their outer ends correspondingly shaped to'co-operate with the outer ends of thefirst mentioned arms to form wedgesto clamp opposite ends of a length of floss; and yielding means tending to press the movable arms to their floss en gaging; position. p

3. A dental floss holder n'icluding a pair of spaced armsprovided with inwardly di-- rected tapered surfaces at their outer ends; a second pair of arms'slidably mounted on the first mentioned arms and havino their outer ends corres 'aondingly shaped to cooperate With the outer ends of the first mentioned arms to form Wedges to clamp opposite ends of a length of floss; and yield-- ing means tending to press the movable arms to their floss engaging position.

4. A dental floss holder including a pair of spaced arms provided with tapered surfaces at their. outer ends, each arm being provided with a groove; a second pair of arms slldably mounted on the first mentioned arms and having the1r outer-ends correspondingly shaped to co-operate with the outer ends of the first mer'itioned arms to-form Wedges to clamp opposite ends of a length of floss, the grooves being adapted to position'the floss in the same plane as the movable arms; and yielding means tending to press the movable arms to their floss en.- ga-ging position.

5. A dental floss holder comprising a does re iance carryingreceptacle havinga pair of spaced arms extending therefrom. the floss being suitably carried along one of the arms and strung across to the other arm; a second pair of arms, mounted to slide longitudinally on the first mentioned arms and adapted to co-operate with the outer ends of the first mentioned arms to form clamps to engage the portions of the floss lying between the cog-operating ends of the arms; and yielding means tending to press the movable arms to their floss engaging position.

(3. A dental floss holder comprising a floss carrying receptacle having a pair of spaced arms extending therefrom. each arm being provided with a tapered surface and a groove at its outer end; a second pair of arms slidably mounted on the first mentioned arms and having tapered surfaces formed on their outer ends to cooperate with the tapered surfaces of the first montioned arms to form Wedge clamps, the

grooves being adapted to receive the floss when 1t is trun across from one arm to the other and position it in the same plane as the movable arms so that the latter will jam the portions of the floss lying between thecobperating outer ends of the varms; and yielding means tending to press the movable arms to their floss engaging position.

7. A. dental floss holder comprising a floss located adjacent the outlet opening and a second. mode ad acent the groove; second pair of arms sli lably mounted on the first mentioned nd having tapered surfaces formed on i to eo-operate with the tapered s1 or" the mentioned arms to form x /edgeclamps, the

grooves being adapted to position the floss in the same plane as the movable arms so that the lattervvlll the portions of the floss 1 m between the co -o eratin outer,

ends of the arms; and yielding means tending to press the movable arms to their floss engaging position.

8. A dental floss holder comprisinga pair of spaced arms, each arm. being provided with a taper-ed surface and a groove its outer end; means for carrying a supply of floss; a guide carried by one of the arms and located adjacent groove; a se'cond pair of arms slidably mounted on the first mentioned arms and having tapered surfaces formed on their outer ends to co operate with the tapered of the first mentioned arms to form Wedge clamps, the grooves being adapted. to position the the same plane as the movable arms so thatthe latter will jam the portions of the floss lying 'beween the cooperating outer lends-of the arms; and yielding means tende 'ing to press the movable arms to their floss engaging position;v

9. A dental floss holder constructed as set forth in claim 8 in which means are pro- 1idedfor-cutting off the used end of the oss.

10. Adental floss holder comprising a receptacle having a pair of spaced arms extending therefrom and provided with an openingadapted to receive a spool of floss '35,

floating with the opening, each arm being qprovided with a tapered surface and a groove at its outer end; a pin carried withv in the reoeptacle for carrying the spool; o floss guides carried by one of the arms, one

'the floss lying between and having a slot formed therein communiguide being located adjaeentthe slot, and a second guideadjacent the groove; a second pair of arms slidably mounted on the first mentioned arms and having tapered surfaces formed on their outer ends to cooperate with the tapered surfaces of the first mentioned arms to form wedge clam s, the grooves being adapted toposition t e floss in the same plane as the movable arms so that the latter will jam the po the co-operating outer ends of the arms; and yielding means tending to press the movable arms to their fioss'engaging position. a

Signed at Blenheim, day of February, 1922. v

p ELDON W. EBY.

Ontario, this 14th 35' Witnesses:

R. L. Gosnnnn, P. S.. SHILLINGTON.

rtibns of $0 

